GoHighLevel duplicate contacts: how to stop and merge them
Short answer
GoHighLevel creates a duplicate contact when Allow Duplicate Contact is on, or when a new submission doesn't match on the field you chose, like a new email with the phone in a different format. Turn the setting off and choose the match order (email or phone, then the other). That only affects new contacts; merge existing duplicates under Manage Duplicates. CSV imports always match on email or phone.
How to fix it
- Turn off duplicates. Settings > Business Profile > Contact Deduplication Preferences: turn Allow Duplicate Contact off.
- Choose what to match on. Set Find Existing Contacts Based On (email or phone) and the second preference. If the first doesn't match, HighLevel checks the second.
- Know what it covers. It applies to new contacts from forms, Zapier and Facebook and Instagram messages. It doesn't merge anyone already there.
- Find the duplicates. Contacts > ⋮ > Manage Duplicates, choose to find by email, phone or name, then Find Duplicates.
- Pick the record to keep. Choose the master record. Tasks, opportunities and notes move to it, and its empty fields fill from the others. Up to 10 merge at once.
- Be sure first. HighLevel says merges can't be undone.
Common questions
- Why do I still get duplicates from one lead?
- Often the lead used a different email, and the phone didn't match because of formatting. Matching on phone first, with clean phone numbers, helps.
- Do imports follow these settings?
- CSV imports always match on email or phone, whatever the setting.
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